Blog, 26. 8. 2026

You know that in every class in primary school there is somebody obsessed with ancient Egypt or Greece or space (but not just because of aliens)? In my case, that person was me and I loved all three things together. Thank God my love to history was stronger, otherwise you would receive this message from the International Space Station. However now I am still occasionally trying to contact Zeus or Amon-Ra – just to ask them to send me some superpowers to continue my academic pursuit.

Jokes aside, I truly believe that the things you love as a child sooner or later will lead you to something bigger – like finding your career or even, might I say, purpose. My road has been a bit longer but eventually here I am, writing a blog for a Science communication course which I am taking as a part of my PhD studies in Ecotechnologies. You may be thinking how it is even connected to my story about the pharaohs and the gods of the Olympus – well, my research is focused on the cultural heritage objects that need to be saved from the cruel wind of time which might damage or destroy even the toughest materials.

And even though I am not working with anything related to the previously mentioned historical periods, I still think it is pretty great to be able to directly interact with the things that older generations left for us – not on purpose, in many cases – as it is a great example of the circle of life, just like the Lion King showed us.

Today, that same curiosity has turned into research — but instead of exploring myths, I explore what science can reveal about damaged objects. So how exactly does this process go? First of all, the original object should be analyzed – how much is it damaged and what is the main issue? In order to do so, I am using a microCT machine – like the one you may find at the doctor’s office but far more precise and designed for scanning small objects rather than people. It allows me to look inside the artefact without opening or damaging it, revealing hidden cracks and fractures, previous repairs, and areas of material loss that are not visible on the surface. This helps me understand the object’s condition and decide which conservation treatment will be the safest and most effective.

After the scanning stage, the data can be transformed into a detailed 3D visualisation of the object, which makes it possible to study its internal structure much more clearly. Based on this digital analysis, I can then choose the most suitable conservation approach — for example, whether the object can be stabilised through targeted injection, whether structural support is needed, or whether additive manufacturing could be used to create custom fills or supports for damaged or missing parts.

One of the most promising options for compatible and sustainable materials are the geopolymers. They are particularly interesting because they can be tailored to specific needs, potentially offering good mechanical strength and durability comparing with some traditional restoration materials. In this way, geopolymers could become not just a repair solution, but a carefully adapted tool for preserving damaged artefacts in a safer and more responsible way.

In the end, what fascinates me most about this work is that conservation is not only about repairing objects, but about giving them a future. Every crack, fragment, and invisible weakness tells a story, and my task is to understand that story well enough to help preserve it without erasing its past. Over the next years, I hope to combine science and technology to find better ways of protecting cultural heritage. And if somewhere along the way somebody from the Olympus decides to help, I certainly would not complain.

Ekaterina Sokolov isa young researcher currently pursuing a PhD at the Jožef Stefan Institute. Her work focuses on the study of the past through material evidence, with a particular interest in how scientific approaches can deepen our understanding of archaeological contexts and support the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations. She is especially interested in interdisciplinary research that brings together archaeology with scientific methods, opening new perspectives on the analysis and interpretation of the past.